This invention relates to a ventilated toilet seat assembly, and more particularly to ventilated toilet seat assembly in which the exhaust line from the toilet seat to the suction or vacuum source is opened and closed through the action of the toilet seat being hinged on a mounting block connected to the top of the toilet bowl. The ventilated toilet seat assembly is included as part of a bathroom exhaust system to remove noxious odors from the toilet bowl area and the bathroom, in general.
Modern building codes require that rooms housing toilets be provided with an exhaust system vented to the atmosphere. This is especially so when the room is a small one not having any opening in the exterior wall, such as a window that can be opened to allow fresh air to enter the room. It has been long recognized that the strongest source of noxious odors or vapors occurs at the toilet seat when the same is occupied by a person.
In the past a number of systems have been proposed for the elimination or reduction of the noxious vapors emanating from the toilet and the room in which the toilet is housed. Many of the systems involve modifications to the toilet seat to accommodate odor exhaust devices. Examples of such modified seats are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,192,539 to Martz; U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,724 to Stamper et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,225 to Ables; U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,293 to Stephens et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,906 to Weiland; U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,888 to Turner; U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,091 to Ellis; U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,999 to Lindley and U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,790 to Ricard.
In order for an odor exhaust device to function, a bathroom must have a source of suction or vacuum. Most building codes require an exhaust system including an exhaust fan located in the ceiling or wall of the room in which the toilet is housed. There also must be an arrangement that permits the noxious odors from the toilet bowl area to be withdrawn into the exhaust system. Many of the previously proposed devices utilized vents and other apertures in the toilet seat and toilet lid communicating with passageways adjacent to the rear of the toilet seat and connected to one or more exhaust lines to the source of suction or vacuum. Other devices require adding extra parts to the toilet seat assembly to provide the venting passageways.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a ventilated toilet seat that is easy to assemble onto an existing toilet bowl. It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a clean and aesthetic assembly that replaces the existing toilet seat with a minimum of replacement parts.
It is a feature of the present invention to utilize vent apertures opening into a hollow interior provided in the toilet seat and an exhaust passageway in the mounting block behind the toilet seat to connect the ventilated toilet seat to the suction or vacuum system. It is a further feature of the present invention that the exhaust passageway in the mounting block behind the toilet seat disconnects from the vent apertures and the hollow interior in the toilet seat when the toilet seat is pivoted upwardly about the hinges attached to the mounting block.
It is an advantage of the present invention that a ventilated toilet seat assembly can be assembled onto an existing toilet bowl by simply replacing the toilet seat with a hollow toilet seat and mounting block and thus provide an aesthetically pleasing and relatively inexpensive assembly to remove noxious odors from the toilet bowl area.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.